Number Porting FAQ

Q. What costs are involved in number porting (transferring a number to MaxoTel)?

For Hosted PBX customers, your first number port is on us!

After that, there is a once-off porting fee to transfer each number ($25.00 per Category A/simple port) or group of numbers ($220.00 per Category C/complex port) or $55.00 for a 13/1300/1800 number. Please scroll down for rejection fees.Once a number has been transferred to MaxoTel, there is no ongoing cost except if you have already used up the total number of DIDs included on your plan - then it would be charged at the excess rate of up to $2.00/month per number (dependent on your plan).

Q. Which providers can MaxoTel port numbers from?

MaxoTel is able to port phone numbers from most Australian carriers and VoIP providers. We regularly port numbers from Telstra, Optus, AAPT, TPG, iiNet, MyNetFone, and many more.

The time it takes to port a number varies, depending on a number of factors, but the typical port time is...

Category A ports - 1-2 weeks

Category C ports - 4-6 weeks

1300/1800 Number Ports - 1-2 weeks

Once the port has been approved a cutover date and time will be allocated and MaxoTel will advise you of this. This date is generally provided within a few business days of submitting the port and is a few days before the scheduled cutover date. In some cases, MaxoTel will advise that you can specify your own cutover date.

Q. What is a "Complex Service"

A complex service is a type of phone service or add-on that can prevent numbers being ported, or prevent a number port from being elligable for "Category A" porting. Some examples include....

The line or number being part of a "hunt group" (must be removed from the hunt group first, may be diverted in the meantime)

An ADSL internet service being present on the line (must be moved to another line or removed first)

A Faxstream service being present on the line (must be removed first)

The phone number being delivered over ISDN (must be ported with Category C)

An exchange-based redirect being present on the number (this must be removed first, but a regular "standard divert" is typically OK)

Q. What can delay a number port?

Providing incorrect details, or details that don't match the previous providers account records will cause the port to fail, which can significantly delay a number port.

For a category A port, having complex services on a line (line hunt, fax stream, etc.) will cause the port to fail and can significantly delay a number port. Such services must be removed before porting.

Number porting agreements between different carriers have different agreed turnaround times. Certain carriers simply take longer than others to respond to porting requests.

Q. Where do I find my Account Number as requested on the Port Authority form?

For standard geographic phone numbers (i.e 07, 02, 03, 08) and toll-free and free call numbers (i.e 13/1300/1800), this is just the account number on your bill. You will need to provide a copy of your phone bill for verification purposes.

Q. What will happen to the line my number is associated with?

Once the port in has been completed, the existing telephone service will cease to function. This will also mean that any services connected to the line such as Broadband Internet or monitored security systems will be disconnected. You should check with your service provider to ensure you will not incur early disconnection fees as a result.

Q. If the port is rejected, am I still charged?

If your port is unsuccessful, it means that the details you have provided do not match the losing carrier's records, or the carrier is providing you with "complex services" on your numbers which need to be removed first.

There is a fee of $18.00 per number rejection for Cat A and Cat C.

Please make sure your details are 100% correct before submitting the port. A port failing due to rejection start the process from the beginning, resulting in delays and additional costs (which can be very large for a 100-number Cat C port) if care is not taken to begin with.

To be clear, the number port rejecting fee is per number, so if a 100 number range port is rejected, the rejection cost will be $1,800.00. This cost is directly incurred by MaxoTel for a rejected port and cannot be waived under any circumstances.

Q. Can I port my number back to a different carrier or my original carrier?

You can port away from MaxoTel at no cost from us. You may need to provide your new carrier with the account number shown on your MaxoTel invoice. Please contact your carrier for further information.

Note that if your number port to MaxoTel has just been completed and you need to return it to the previous carrier, this can sometimes be done with an emergency port reversal. These have very small time windows (within hours from the port completion) and have a cost associated with doing so. Please contact our support team immediately if you need to request a port reversal.

Q. Once my number is ported, what happens?

The number will be listed within the Number Routing page of your MaxoTel portal. This number will function like any other MaxoTel allocated number, and can be used in conjunction with an extension, Fax service, or feature of a Hosted PBX service (such as a queue, ring group, or IVR menu).

If you have any further questions about porting, please don't hesitate to contact our support team.